This report is Italian. In Italy there is a big thing of glamorous transvestites on television, many of whom are married to women. At the same time transsexual women are regarded as nothing but sex workers and have an incredibly difficult time accessing decent treatment. The terms don’t match English usage. Someone who “has a revelation when asked to wear a pair of heels” is not going to actually have sex reassignment surgery. Its just a PR statement. Just publicity. And it is transphobic, because it effectively mocks the inborn pain and need that drives transsexuality.

perhaps I’m a little suprised that she’s taken 28 to transition, but perhaps thats the finicky and competitive fashion industry.

Most transpeople don’t transition until they are a lot older. This is mostly due to percieved public and family stigma, and to that own persons attempts to deny and fight it. This will change as society as a whole becomes more tolerant of transpeople (we’re already starting to see more and more trans children for example). Additionally the article does not state when she transitioned – she could’ve been 19 when she started for example.

She’s no CIndy Crawford…Michael Crawford maybe but not Cindy.

Grow up IgnacioD.

@oatc.
I might be missing something here but I don’t see it as transphobic. The image of her naked (I’ve seen it) and the article that accompanies it don’t come accross as transphobic or mocking. Nor do any of the ads as far as I can tell. If you were told that she’s trans (not including the naked image) that you wouldn’t know.
Yes, she’s part way through her transition – and from what I understand she is going to have SRS – but it shows the world someone who is confident and successful. It also shows the wider world that there is more then simply mtf and ftm transpeople who have had surgery, that there is infact a whole spectrum in between.
Perhaps the most important thing that could happen from this, is that it leads to (even just a few) members of the general public looking at transpeople (no matter their surguery status) and not being all that bothered by it. I’m not saying that will happen, and it’ll take more then just the image in question but it could start something. Not to mention showing transpeople that it’s possible to get high profile jobs and to be in the public eye without having to hide.